A hardcore Naxal carrying reward of Rs5 lakh was killed by a police team following an encounter with armed ultras in a forested patch of the insurgency-hit Kondagaon district, Superintendent of Police (SP) Kondagaon JS Watti said on Friday.
According to the police, a DRG (District Reserve Group) team had launched an operation from Dhanora police station.
The team while carrying out the operation had face-off with armed Naxals in a forested terrain of Kejam about 60 km from district headquarters on Friday morning.
Both the sides then exchanged heavy gun fire which lasted for about an hour and Naxals then suffering heavy losses retreated into the jungle, the SP informed.
later on, while searching the area, body of a man was found who was identified as Ranader alias Shobhi resident of Kokpal village under the Bayanar police station limits.
The team also recovered three muzzle guns, 12 bore country-made guns, tiffin bomb, ammunition and other items of daily use from the spot, he said.
Ranader was Commander of Bayanar Area Committee and used to carry AK47. Recently, he was shifted to Benur Dalam and was wanted in over 27 criminal cases registered against him in Narayanpur and Kondagaon, Watti mentioned.
He was also involved in ambush attack and killing of 9 police personnel at Rakesh Meta of Kudur region in 2007, the SP said.